


To The Bone

by dastardly0



Series: The Things We Didn’t See [2]
Category: Mad Max 1979, Mad Max Series (Movies)
Genre: M/M, theres background mudguts/cundalini happening as usual, toecutter and bubba talk about some things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 10:35:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29224056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dastardly0/pseuds/dastardly0
Summary: The aftermath of The Beach Scene. Bubba has some concerns.
Relationships: Toecutter/Bubba Zanetti
Series: The Things We Didn’t See [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2145690





	To The Bone

**Author's Note:**

> decided to turn this into a series of stuff that happened either before the movie takes place, or in between what we saw. it’s not overly gay but it’s a little bit implied. hope u enjoy !
> 
> CW FOR: smoking, mention of a firearm, mention of death of a friend (nightrider), and fire.

It had been an hour since Toecutter left with Johnny. 

After Johnny made a fool of himself earlier, snatching Toecutter’s gun and laying waste to the mannequin that Clunk brought back. Toecutter had dragged the boy by the scruff of his neck, hand twisted around his tie, down past the jetty and out of sight. To reprimand him, Bubba had assumed.

But that was an hour ago. The sun had since gone down and a slight chill had set in. 

Some men started a bonfire on the beach, piled up wood that Starbuck and Clunk had dragged down from god knows where. Bubba think’s one of the mannequin’s legs ended up in there too. The flames rose high, a beacon to be seen for miles.

Bubba sat on the couch that Toecutter had claimed, legs stretched out on the sand and the shiny silver blanket across his shoulders. He was restless. He had already cleaned his gun twice, gone though his and Toecutter’s packs, taken inventory, and checked their fuel supply. It had been an hour. And Toecutter was still gone. 

He wasn’t worried. Toecutter was their leader. He was strong and clever and perfect in every way. Bubba trusted him completely.

But he wanted to know what he was doing with Johnny, and why they had been gone for so long.

“WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?” Shrieked Mudguts, falling to his knees in the sand in front of what was left of the mannequin.

“We gave her a makeover, mate. Don’t tell me you don’t like it?” Diabando cackled, clearly quite pleased with himself.

A little earlier he and Clunk had started hacking up the poor mannequin. Pulling it’s arms and legs off and reattaching them elsewhere. It was a ghastly sight, and Bubba had scoffed at their idiocy. 

Mudguts was stroking the mannequin’s face, muttering something to it, when Cundalini came up behind him and put a hand on his back, consoling his companion. 

“We’ll find another one ‘Guts. C’mon.” 

Mudguts nodded solemnly, letting himself be dragged to his feet and led back to the fire. 

Bubba glanced over at the jetty for what was probably the 100th time, but this time, through the darkness, he saw Toecutter walking towards him.

Toecutter had the shotgun slung over his shoulder and was dripping wet. A chastised looking Johnny trailed behind him, his shoulders slumped and face downturned. He was soaked too, Bubba noticed. Were they in the water? 

Johnny veered off and went to the other side of the fire, warming himself and avoiding eye contact with anyone.

Toecutter just walked straight up to Bubba.

“Bubba,” Toecutter acknowledged, sitting down next to him. Bubba just stared.

Toecutter rested the shotgun against the side of the couch and leaned back, his eyes closing for a moment.

Bubba noticed he was shivering.

“You’re wet.” Bubba stated.

Toecutter just looked at Bubba out of the corner of his eyes, turning his head slightly.

“You’ll catch a cold.” Bubba said as he stood up, pulling the silver blanket off himself and wrapping it around Toecutter. Toecutter grasped the blanket and pulled it tight. 

“What were you doing over there?” Bubba said after a few minutes, keeping a close eye on Toecutter’s shivering.

Toecutter reached a hand out from under the blanket, leaning down to dig through his pack. He huffed in frustration but Bubba just picked up the bag himself, pulling out a little tin. He handed it to Toecutter and then reached in his pocket to grab a match.

Toecutter opened the tin and sat one of the pre-rolled cigarettes between his lips, turning to look at Bubba with a tired smile forming on his face.

Bubba held the match in his fist and flicked his nail over the head, watching as it lit up. He held the flame out for Toecutter, who leaned in, holding Bubba’s wrist so the flame was steady.

Toecutter leaned back, inhaling deeply as he watched Bubba blow out the flame. He held the smoke in his lungs for a few moments before breathing it out through his nose. 

“I was making sure Johnny knew what was expected of him.” Toecutter said eventually.

Bubba squared his jaw.

“He has a plan. Revenge on the bronze that assaulted him. I think it’s an excellent idea.”

“He won’t go through with it. He’s not like us.” Bubba muttered.

Toecutter exhaled more smoke. “It will be his chance to prove himself.” 

Toecutter had stopped shivering now. The heat from the fire starting to dry his clothes, and the blanket keeping him warm. 

Wolf whistles and jeering shouts caught Bubba’s attention, and he turned to see Starbuck and one of the girls wading into the water, stark naked. They were splashing and laughing at each other, and soon a few other guys and some more of the girls joined them. 

Bubba tisked, but Toecutter watched them with a crinkle in his eyes. 

“The world belongs to us, Bubba.” Toecutter said, still staring out at the dark shoreline, sensing Bubba’s disapproval. 

All around the beach were people laying around. Some watching the water, some just sitting together. 

On the other side of the fire, Cundalini had his arms wrapped around Mudguts as they slow-danced to nonexistent music. Mudguts’ face tucked into Cundalini’s neck and his arms tight around his waist. They seemed happy. At peace to just exist within each other’s presence. 

He watched them for a while, swaying in time with the sounds of the waves rolling up the beach. Bubba felt a pang in his chest. 

He watched Toecutter out of the corner of his eye. Lounging next to him, eyes closed and head tilted back with his blanket wrapped tight, the cigarette hanging from his mouth. The occasional puff of smoke was the only sign he was even awake. 

“You shouldn’t worry, Bubba.” Toecutter said after a long while, his cigarette nearly burnt down to the end. He opened his eyes and tilted his mouth when he caught Bubba staring.

Exactly what he shouldn’t worry about was left unspoken, but they both knew. 

Bubba was worried for Toecutter.

Worried he would go down a path Bubba couldn’t follow. 

Worried that Johnny will replace him, and not be able to care for Toecutter like Bubba does.

Worried that Toecutter will end up alone again, after everything.

Bubba knew how hard Nightrider’s death had hit Toecutter. Knew it probably stirred up some bad memories. Forgotten feelings. 

They had been so high on life for the past few years. Unstoppable.

But what happened to The Nightrider was a stark reminder. 

Bubba was away getting Johnny when they buried him on that hill. He wished he’d been there for Toecutter.

It was quiet now, around the fire. Just the crackle of the wood burning and the sounds of the waves. 

Toecutter flicked the butt of his cigarette into the fire.

“Do you ever wish that… You could go back? When everything was normal? Before the oil crisis. Before the government fell apart and everything went to shit.” Bubba asked out of nowhere, staring down at the grains of sand he could see all over his legs.

“No.” Toecutter said, not giving any time to ponder the question.

“I was no one back then. Had no one.” 

Bubba remembers Toecutter telling him about the foster system. Home after home. Never staying in one place for too long. Bubba thinks how it must have been a relief when society fell apart, and the cycle was broken. 

“But now I have you, Bubba, and the others. I have all of you by my side. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”

When Bubba looked up it was to Toecutter smiling at him. Bubba couldn’t help the corner of his mouth lifting in response. 

Bubba doesn’t know what he would have done with his life, if not this. Probably become a hairdresser like he wanted. Live his life just day after day, never amounting to anything.

At least with this he feels alive. Never a dull moment with Toecutter, never a meaningless day.

They sat in silence for a while, just watching the fire. 

Eventually, Toecutter yawned, and started moving around. Bubba thought he’d be getting up to find his swag, but instead he just shuffled closer to Bubba, opening the blanket and encouraging Bubba to wrap it around himself. 

“Just for a little while.” Toecutter mumbled, resting his head on Bubba’s shoulder. 

Bubba just sighed, and wrapped his arm around Toecutter, making sure the blanket was covering him.

“And then we should sleep.” Bubba said softly, nuzzling into Toecutter’s mass of curly hair. 

The fire died down and the beach was nearly silent. 

Bubba could feel Toecutter’s gentle breathing against him. He was certain the man had fallen asleep.

Bubba couldn’t help but smile as he lent his head back against the couch. He knew they were both going to have cricks in their necks in the morning.

But for now this was nice. Peaceful. Bubba ran his hand through Toecutter’s hair and sighed. 

All the time in the world, he thought. The world belonged to them.

**Author's Note:**

> i love that silver blanket so gotdam much 
> 
> come yell at me on twitter @ chocohybrid


End file.
